This application claims the priority of German Application No. 197 45 126.8, filed Oct. 13, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a roof construction for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a roof construction having a roof panelling, having side wall panellings, having a roof drain between the roof panelling and the side wall panellings and having a forward and a rearward roof frame.
A known vehicle roof construction provides a roof drain between a roof panel and a side panel. A welding-together of the roof panel and the side panel, and optionally also a welding to reinforcing parts takes place in or on the roof drain. A roof drain of this type replaces the formerly customary rain grooves described, for example, in DE 40 24 837 C2 and DE 38 10 268 C2.
A disadvantage of a roof drain is, however, the fact that it must have a minimum width of approximately 15 mm so that a welding can take place at this point by conventional welding electrodes. After the welding and after the assembly of the vehicle, the roof drain must be covered by a molding or the like.
DE 37 36 029 C2 describes a vehicle roof which has a U-shaped groove between a lateral roof frame and a roof skin or roof panel, in which a rubber strip which extends along the U-shaped groove is glued between the roof frame and the roof skin after the painting of the vehicle body having the two roof frames.
DE 29 12 403 C2 and EP 0 062 506 A1 also show roof constructions for motor vehicles, in which a narrowly designed roof drain is conceivable. Concerning the general state of the prior art, reference is also made to EP 0 126 895 B1.